Johannesburg - Rival trade unions are wrestling away vulnerable members from the Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (Amcu) with the wage strike in the platinum belt in its 11th week.
Minority unions in the platinum belt are on a recruitment drive as cash-strapped employees have missed a second payday due to the strike.
The majority of mines in the Rustenburg region have ground to a halt, and it is hard to tell if Amcu membership numbers have decreased because union subscription fees have not been paid.
“We have surpassed the 8 000-member mark since we launched in March, we now have 9 000, mostly in Rustenburg’s platinum belt,” Eliphas Ngako Ngoepe, the general secretary of the new Workers Association Union (WAU), said yesterday.
It was launched in Rustenburg on March 2, after registering with the Department of Labour on February 24 with 8 000 members from sectors including energy, retail and mining. WAU is providing transport to and from work to its members and non-striking platinum belt employees.
The Cosatu-affiliated National Union of Metalworkers of SA (Numsa) is growing its presence in the industry. “There are people coming to the organisation and we’re taking them,” national treasurer Mphumzi Maqungo said.
Numsa, with more than 340 000 workers in the automotive and engineering industries, is organising in every sector it has a direct link with, including mining, following its special national congress in December.
Erick Gcilitshana, the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) secretary for health and safety, said increasing violence and intimidation, particularly in informal settlements on the platinum belt, was preventing employees from returning to work.
“Two shop stewards were set alight at Union Mine last night (Sunday),” he said.
“We continue to recruit at all three mines. Since the strike in Marikana, in mid-August 2012, 10 000 members have come back to the NUM.”
Impala Platinum spokesman Johan Theron said yesterday: “We are not aware of any changes at Impala.”